NY Radio: Judge Orders Upstate Stations To Rehire Fired Employees

Radio personality Dianne D. Chase plans to eventually return to the airwaves at Classic Hits WCIZ Z93 after a judge ruled that her employer violated labor laws when it dismissed her and other hosts in 2018.

But, nny360.com reports, her employer, Stephens Media Group, which owns Z93 and Country WFRY Froggy 97 in Watertown and WMSA 1340 AM in Massena, as well as other stations in New York, Oklahoma and Washington, plans to challenge the ruling.

The National Labor Relations Board and Stephens Media have been entangled in an eight-month legal battle over the company’s decision to lay off multiple radio personalities, including Ms. Chase, from its Watertown stations, cut hours for part-time personalities and fire David Romigh from 1340 WMSA, all in 2018.

The Watertown layoffs followed issues with contract negotiations between the company and the union representing the hosts, the Local 51024 chapter of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-Communications Workers of America. Mr. Romigh was accused of insubordination.

Charles J. Muhl, an administrative law judge with the board, found that because both Stephens Media and the union had not reached a valid impasse in contract negotiations, the company’s decision to lay off three Watertown hosts, eliminate weekend shifts and reduce work hours for part-time hosts violated national labor laws. He also determined that the insubordination claim against Mr. Romigh was unfounded, and his termination unlawful.

The judge, therefore, ordered Stephens Media to “restore all terms and conditions of employment” for the affected workers at the union’s request, save any changes that benefited workers that the union does not request to be reversed, thus offering positions to the radio hosts who lost their jobs and the weekend slots and hours that were eliminated to part-time hosts. The company must compensate affected workers for any financial losses and tax consequences that resulted from their employment termination or loss of hours.

The National Labor Relations Board will review the judge’s motion and decide whether to affirm it or request modifications, a process that could last a year or longer, said Ronald Gabalski, a staff representative of the national union. The process could result in a long wait before Ms. Chase and other affected hosts can return to the local stations, unless Stephens Media hires them back beforehand, Mr. Gabalski said.

The radio personality and union president said she was unaware whether other affected hosts would return to their posts.